Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-18
an ENGINEEk,s STORY.
Locomotives Which Seem to Think
-How u Collision Was Averted.
From tie Detroit Tribune

From tie Detroit Tribune.
81 will tell you about one OF the most
curious freaks of an engine that ever oc-
curred in my experience with them. L
offer no explanation, for never have been
able to solve it half satisfactorily to my
self. and will therefore leave you to draw
vour own conclusions. 1t was about six
teen years ago when first commen ced to
run a passenger train. The night was
dark and stormy, i'll the middle OF De-
eember. l was ordered tor the midnight
axuress, and somehow from the very start
everything seemed to 20 wrong. Even
he fireman appeared to act and work dit
forently from usual. Well, to make mat
tors worse, we were detained an hour at
The depot, and then the conductor came
and told me that the Superintendent was
nm the train and bound for the other end OF
the road.
snow, right here want to say that l
have always had the reputation of being
npe of the most careful aud best engi-
neers on the road, together with being
able to make the best time. This was the
6rst time the superintendent had ever
been on my train, aud, of course, was
anxious to sustain my good reputation.
Rut the fates were against mean hour
late. the night dark and stormy, and our
regular running time between forty and
Bfty miles an hour. We'll, we pulled out
Of the station with my mind made up 10
reach our destination on time If the
wheels would sJay under her. AS soon
"a we were out of the CITY limits |
5pened on all the steam she had and let
her 20. But she didn't seem to move at
half her usual speed, and then she didn't
make steam well, either. began to be
inpatient, and scolded the fireman for not
9oiug good work win mis- fire. He seemed
10 try his best, but it was no go. She
4 would not make steam well, in spite of his
~.xertloEs. Then the pumps began to be
troublesome. One of them stopped work
ny altogether, and the other became more
unreliable every minute. 1t began TO
dawn upon me that making up time was
out of the question.
You may imagine my feelings, for it
seemed to me as if my whole reputation
was staked ON this trip. L profess to
know my business pretty well and can
get speed out OF an engine if any man
can, and my heart was down below zero
when we began TO drop behind our regu-
lar running time. But it was no use.
Everything was against me. l was mad
clear through.
when we left station D. we were
one hour and ten minutes late, and the
conductor had just made a remark that
nettled me quite little. | had ask ed
aim II there were any orders at station
D.. He answered:
"'None. except to try to get there in
lime for dinner which was pure sar-
casm, for If we made our running time
we would be there in time for breakfast.
swell, my heart was clear down in my
boots, and when shut off the steam GO
Ing into station B l found the water
80 low in the boiler that something had to
be done for the pumps before we could
leave the station, as there was then q
heavy grade to climb for several miles. |
informed the conductor that we would
be- delayed fifteen or twenty minutes,
wish the work of taking down one of the
pumps, and then proceeded with the
/ work.
ave were just about ready to start
/ again when l heard the sharp whistle of
an engine, and looking upI saw train
approaching from the very direction in
which we were gong. When tho train
pulled into the station we found that the
telegraph operator at station D. had
neglected to give us meeting orders for
this train. Had it not been for the pumps
we would have dashed on to what would
probably have been one of the most
errible collisions in the history OF rail-
'oads.
u
story. From the time we left station
b both pumps worked like a charm
bear in mind that had found nothing
whatever the matter with the pump that
had taken down, as there was appar-
entity no reason for it not wOrking-and
Inc old engine seemed to dart along with
twice her usual speed. Gradually she
began to pick up the time again, and in
tue next fifty miles we had made up fifteen
minutes, which was lightning speed in
those days. There was just nineteen
minutes to make the last twenty miles in,
ana need not say that we pulled our des-
tnatiOn on time.
Here, indeed, was an instance of a
cranky engine saving a collision that
would probably have resulted'in great
oss OF human life and property. Rail
oading Is full OF just such experiences,
ana nave had many of them which
might interest you, but do not recall any
o. them just now.
speaking Of the peculiarities Of engi-
eers IL Is not best for me TO say much,
VI l am queer sort of fellow myself,
Dut there Is one engineer running on this
oau now who thinks his engine can feel,
Vt When she doesn't run fast enough
Please him he beats her with a ham
hldeous Crime in France,